This kid loves a hoodie. Apparently any hood, when pulled over your head, instantly transforms you from a little girl to a bear. Sometimes Flora is a brown bear, and sometimes she is a purple bear. This time she is a polka-dot bear. Though rare, I’m sure you’ve seen the elusive polka-dot bear on Planet Earth.
I don’t know much about the Boston Tea Party, or the Mad Tea Party that Alice attended, but I do know that my tea parties are so much fun! All my favorite stuffed animals get to attend, and I pour “tea” (dry beans, really) for everyone at the “table.” Dad or Mom usually come, too, and we eat donuts, bagels, cakes, and sometimes I make “hot soup” or “bake cookies” in my oven. Jammies are optional.
Flora’s great-grandmother, and nameksake, Florence Swan (who was named after her mother), passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 92. Our Flora promises to carry on the tradition of strong-minded, fun-loving, and affectionate women whos name she shares. And we promise to continue to share Gramma Swan’s stylings with Flora and always keep her in our hearts and minds. To quote her own self, Gram Swan was “the nuts!” and she will certainly be missed.
We had our 18-week ultrasound at MGH on Tuesday, January 15th. Although I am technically 18.2 weeks along and due June 15, this is the second ultrasound that put us a little farther along based on the baby’s measurements — 18.6 weeks and due June 11. Right now the baby measures about 5.5″ and weighs about 6.7 ounces — you can see all of it’s organs and limbs clear as a bell, but we didn’t ask to find out the gender. We saw the four chambers of the heart, the two halves of the brain, the feet, toes, hands, and fingers, even the lips! The doctor commented that the baby was very active — she could feel a kick right through the wand! The baby gave us the thumbs up on the way to finding its mouth — we’re hoping this one will be a thumb sucker instead of a binky lover!
Someone needs a haircut.
Despite the long wait in the near nude, Flora was a trooper at her two year check up, although there was some drama surrounding the finger prick test. In the short time we actually spent with Dr. G., she was able to deduce that I must be very tired at the end of the day with such a demanding and “beyond her years” toddler. I certainly agreed.
Between Flora’s demands for “TOYS!” and “SNACK!” and “I NEED A WIPE!” (no worries that Flora isn’t hitting her two-year vocabulary milestone), we were able to assess that Flora now weighs 29 pounds, 4 ounces (a 4 pound, 1 ounce gain over the past 6 months), measures 34.5″ tall (a 2.5″ rise), and is still holding her head circumference steady at 18.5″ … where it has remained since she was 15 months old! That puts Einstein in the 80% for weight (it’s in the thighs, baby!), the 69% for height, and the 36% for head.
And finally, after all this time, Flora gets to try peanut butter and nut products … which I am sure will make up for the missed calories with the switch to 2% milk. Marty is sad that we still have to hold off on shellfish — his favorite — as I am allergic to shrimp.
I am in love with our camera (it’s a Nikon D80 with a Sigma fixed focal length lens) — View Flora’s “The Many Faces of Albert Einstein” photos
Today “I be two!” but I actually celebrated yesterday with a few friends (Dobbin, Kate, Boulton, Porter, and Seneca); a big, brown, bear cake (Dad made two recipes over two days and ended up combining both cakes to get the end result); and a baked ziti dinner (with Mom’s homemade sauce) … I put on my party dress after nap and had fun eating and playing all afternoon. Plus, I even got some presents!
I posed this year in the same chair as I did last year so you can see just how much I’ve grown. And despite this morning’s Nor’ Easter, I made it to school and brought cupcakes to share with my friends. Tonight I’m hoping to get my hands on some of those leftover juice boxes to continue the sugar spree.
Amy signed Flora and I up for swim lessons at the Melrose YMCA — this morning was our first class — and since Flora goes to one of the Melrose YMCA daycare sites, she is automatically a member. Flora is in the Inia-Pike class, and will be introduced to basic swimming skills through songs and games. At first she was apprehensive, but as she got used to the water, she seemed to like it more and more. Hopefully by the end of the seven weeks, she’ll like enough to graduate to the next class!
It is with great hope for mankind that I report this news: finally, Marty’s Yod-a-lantern flickr photo has surpassed my Big Belly flickr photo in number of views — 1630 to 994. It was always creepy to me that the Big Belly photo held the title for most views until just after this Halloween. Star Wars fans rejoice!
On several occasions, Flora has used the term “Baby Sister” to describe what’s in my belly, although I’m certain we’ve never used that reference before. But yesterday when I pointed to my growing belly and asked, “What’s this?,” Flora replied, “Baby Sister … No, Baby Sister … Baby Meow,” and later answered the same question with a flat out, “Baby Meow.” Although we aren’t going to find out what we are having gender-wise, we’re positive it isn’t a baby meow. Hopefully Flora won’t be too disappointed when it turns out to really be a baby sister or baby brother!
Today we met our lovely London friends — Cat, Mat, and Lily — at the Boston Children’s Museum for some fun play. We explored New Balance Climb, Boats Afloat, Construction Zone, and PlaySpace … then headed across the street to Finagle a Bagel for lunch. They are expecting Baby Girl Number 2 in April — we wish them all the best! Speaking of babies, our friends Wally and Marcy are expecting Number 1 in June, and two of my Mommy friends, Carla and Suzanne, are both expecting Number 2 in July. Anyone scheduling in May?
Mom, Dad, and I went to the mall on New Year’s Day to pick up some new “yammies” (jammies) and “sippers” (slippers). Imagine my delight when we scored two pairs of fleecy footed jammies from The Children’s Place — a green pair with polar bears and a pink pair with a “meow” — and a squishy pair of pink slippers. I insisted on wearing my new slippers in the mall, carrying my new jammies around while we shopped for other things, and have protested taking my new jammies off my person since returning home. That Hugh Hefner sure knows a thing or two about being comfortable! After shopping, we took a snack break in the food court where I dined on ice cream. Happy New Year everyone!
P.S. Don’t you just love the “Heee Whooo” song? It’s my new favorite song to shake my groove thing to.
Pegasus News borrowed one of Flora’s flickr photos for this article — check out the link. Great caption included: “In the New Year, we resolve not to listen to anyone who freaks out over drinking baby pictures.”
